No More Games

51

SEPTEMBER 1

Michael's Point Of View

I woke up with the craziest rush of anxiety. I felt as if my mind was on overdrive and there was no way of stopping it at the rate it was going. Everything that's been going on in my life were now just hitting me all at once.

I've got a brother who hates me and did all he could to see my demise. . .I had the best relationship with Sasha but ruined it by choosing sleazy sex with other women over commitment, and in not learning my lesson, I ended up getting another woman pregnant at the same time I got Sasha pregnant. . .despite efforts of trying to win my girl's heart back, she doesn't seem like she's interested in taking me back, and now I get robbed of a twenty-four million dollar diamond ring. . .

All these things were running wild in my head and it was driving me absolutely insane. This is one of those moments where I wish I had pills to take.

I could just remember shoving almost half a bottle of painkillers down my throat in one day and how it used to just numb everything for me. I want my mind to be numb right now.

I sat up against the headboard and grabbed my phone to check the time. It read, 7:17am.

Elise's appointment with our doctor is at 9:00.

I turned my head and looked at Elise who was sleeping like a baby right next to me. Her glow was so radiant, it was hard to look away.

Last night we stayed up watching movies and talking about almost everything. I didn't mean for us to sleep in the same bed but she fell asleep and I just couldn't wake her up just to tell her to go to her room.

She was there for me as a friend last night and I'm so grateful that that's all it was.
The old me would not have had her sleep in my bed without having sex with her. I'm honestly proud of myself.

I slid out of bed and gave her a little nudge to wake her up. She moaned and turned her head the other way, making me chuckle.

"Elise, you gotta get up." I shook her again.

"Hmm. . ." She mumbled a few words I couldn't understand.

I moved her hair from her face and stroked her soft cheek with the back of my hand. "Sweetheart we got to get ready for your appointment."

She did a long stretch before opening her eyes and sitting up. She looked around and then turned to me with wide eyes. "I slept in here with you?"

"Uh. . .yeah." I laughed. "I didn't want to be rude by waking you and having you leave."

"You could've left and slept in one of your guest rooms." She smirked.

I leaned down and got close to her face. "This is my house, my bedroom. If anyone is leaving this room, it would be you, baby girl." I smiled and placed a quick kiss on her forehead before making my way to the bathroom. "Now get up, beautiful. Let's go check on our baby."

•

"You alright?" I squeezed Elise's hand as our vehicle pulled into the parking garage of the Doctor's office. She seemed very distant in her thoughts the entire drive.

"I'm fine." She smiled at me.

"You sure?"

"Of course." She chuckled, looking deep into my eyes. "I'm fine, Michael. . .really."

A few seconds later, the door on her side is opened by Dean and we both hop out. Once we made it inside, we checked in and went straight into the Doctor's room.